This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Electronically commutated electric motors, often also known as EC motors for short, are sufficiently well known; they are employed for numerous uses, for example as drives for fans or ventilators in ventilation and air conditioning technology. EC motors of this type operate according to the described generic method and, for this purpose, have an appropriate control circuit of the generic type described above. Reference is made in this respect to documents EP 2 482 442 A1 and EP 2 267 883 A1 for example which, however, are predominantly concerned with specific measures with regard to the configuration of the intermediate circuit as a “thin intermediate circuit” with minimal intermediate circuit reactance (capacitance, inductance).
In practical use of EC motors of this type, problems can arise due in particular to mains-side overvoltages and overcurrents, if not all components are configured for particularly high voltages and currents which, however, increases the cost.
The present invention is therefore based on the object of ensuring, at the lowest possible expense, a high functional reliability as well as an economical operation of the EC motor and of the control circuit thereof.